Time-controlled means for operating electric lights



July 1, 1930. M. E. NEAGUS 1,769,804

TIME CONTROLLED MEANS FOR OPERATING ELECTRIC LIGHTS- Filed July 28, 1926 U I 7721) ervo 7'.

jfizvzjm Patented July 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MELVIN E. NEAGUS, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS Application filed July 28, 1926. Serial No. 125,454.

This invention relates to time controlled means for operating electric lights, and more particularly to suc means as is applicable to motor vehicles for turning on of the head 6 and tail lights at a predetermined time.

It is an object of the invention to provide simple and inexpensive means which may be readily attached to existing motor vehicles at slight expense, for the purpose of auto- 10 matically turning on the head and tail lights by time or clock controlled means.

It is a further object of the invention to use existing time indicating devices to which simple and inexpensive means is attached for the purpose of closing an electrical circuit to cause the lighting of electric lamps at a predetermined hour or setting of the time indicating device.

Other objects of the invention will be fully understood from a description of the drawing and the claim hereinafter given.

Of the drawing- Figure 1 represents a portion of a dash or instrument board of a motor vehicle SllOWlIlg 25 a time indicating device or clock mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 Figure 1 some of the portions of the clock being omitted, and others being shown in elevat on. Figure 3 is a face view of certain portlons of the clock removed from the casing.

Figure 4 is a rear view of certain portions of the clock showing the electrical connector operated thereby, and the electrical terminals with which the connector contacts being shown in section.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing one means of installing the invention in motor vehicles having two head lights and a tail light. Like characters represent like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing The drawing herewith illustrates a dash or instrument board 10 having a round hole therein to receive a cylindrical receptacle or socket housing 11 which incloses, protects and shields a clock 12, the said socket housing is preferably permanently secured to the said board while the said clock is removably mounted therein.

In the present instance the clockis of a Well known type having the minute and hour hands 13 and 14 respectively, and a hand 15 which may be moved to indicate the hour or time and setting of the alarm mechanism to operate, which alarm or bell however is not used in the present device.

The operating mechanism for the hands 13 and 14 is so well known that explanation thereof does not seem necessary, the same being true of the alarm mechanism excepting that as it enters into the present invention it will be explained sufficiently to enable the invention to be understood. v

Suitably mounted in the clock frame 16 which is enclosed in the cylindrical casing 17 is the usual alarm wind shaft 18 on which is-mounted the usual spring 19, ratchet 20, pawl 21, and gear 22 which latter meshes with a pinion 23 fast on the shaft 24 on which is the gear 25 in mesh with a pinion 26 on the shaft 27 of the escapement wheel 28.

Coacting with the escapement wheel 28 is the usual escapement 29 having the hammer arm 30 a portion of which only is used for the present purpose.

The alarm hour indicating hand 15 is fast on the alarm setting shaft 31 on which is a hub 32 having a radially projecting pin or lug 33 arranged to engage at times with a notch 34 in the face of the hub 35 of a gear 36.

The said gear 36 is driven through the hour hand gear train, not shown, and is loose on the alarm setting shaft'3l and axially movable thereon the face of its hub 35 having the notch 34 being pressed into contact with the projection 33 by means of the flat spring member 37 which is secured at one end 38 to the clock frame 16 and havin a rod or pin 39 extending. from its free end.

At such times as the pin 33 bears on the face of the hub 35 the rod or pin 39 willbe held in the path of-the hammer arm 30 and through the escapement 29 will lock the pinion 26 from movement and consequently the spring 19 is restrained from actuating the geartrain of which the pinion 26 is a part.

Whenthe hour hand 14 has arrived at the hour corresponding to the setting of the hand 15, the notch 34 of the hub 35 will have been moved to register with the pin or projector 33 whereupon the spring member 37 will cause axial movement to the gear 36, which movement simultaneously withdraws the rod or pin 39 from the path of the hammer arm 30 unlocking the escapement and wheel so that the spring 19 may operate the gear train during which action the alarm wind shaft 18 rotates in the direction of the arrow A, see Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing.

The alarm wind shaft 18 has a block of insulating material 40 fast thereon which has a metal strip fast to one edge thereof and which is arranged to close the circuit of a lighting system by contacting with the terminals 41 and 42 when the alarm wind shaft 18 has been rotated as just explained, and as seen in dotted lines in Figure 4 of the drawing.

The said terminals 41 and 42 are fixedly attached to and insulated from the socket receptacle 11 by being mounted on the insulating disk or wall 43 in which a hole 44 is bored for the reception of the elongated alarm wind shaft 18 when the clock is inserted into the receptacle to thereby ensure the proper positioning of the clock and to prevent it from accidental rotation during the running of the vehicle.

Figure 5 shows a diagram of one circuit which might be used in connection with the invention, and wherein the head lights 45 and 46, and tail light 47 are located in a circuit with the battery 48 and switch 49, said switch being operable to close the light circuit independently of the clock 12.

The clock is arranged to occupy a position between the head light 46 and switch 49 and has a wire leading from each of its terminals completing the circuit between those points as plainly seen in Figure 5 of the drawing.

From the foregoing it will be evident that upon the operation of the time controlled circuit closer the head and tail lamps will be lighted independently of the switch 49.

The clock 12 is removably mounted in the socket housing 11 so that upon operation it may be withdrawn for the purpose of resetting the contact maker 40, for winding the clock or changing the time for a subsequent operation.

Projecting from the rear wall of the clock frame is a stop 50 which is arranged to limit the rotary movement of the shaft 18 when the clock is withdrawn from the socket otherwise the spring 19 would unwind until exhausted or until the alarm indicator hand 15 is moved to a new position. The socket housing 11 is provided at its inner end with an end wall including the insulating disk 43 while at its outer end it is provided with an aperture flange fitting fiatwise against the dash board 10 and secured thereto by screws. It will thus be clear that the housing 11 is fixed rigidly to its support 10 while the clock is held against angular displacement, and

also positioned angularly, within the housing 11 by the engagement of the inner end of the arbor or shaft 18 with the disk of insulating material 43. It will also be clear that the housing 11 incloses the contacts 40, 41 and 42 so as to shield the same from dust, dirt, oil, etc. Also, the housing 11 incloses and shields the inner end of the clock.

Having described the invention I claim:

The combination with a cylindrical housing closed at its inner end by an end wall and provided at its outer end with a flange for attachment to a dash board or other support and a pair of circuit terminals within said housing mounted upon the inner end wall thereof, of a clock comprising a cylindrical casing fitting telescopically and removably into said housing at the outer end thereof and including alarm mechanism; a bridging contact carried by the wind shaft of the alarm mechanism and cooperating with said circuit terminals and means for positioning said clock angularly within said housing.

Signed by me at New Bedford, Massachusetts, this 24th day of July, 1926.

MELVIN E. NEAGUS. 

